Russia’s long and eclectic history has created a calendar filled with diverse holidays. Some are federal holidays, marked with national celebrations and mandated days off. Others are of lesser importance, marked in private, in passing,...

The Monastery of Saint Nino at Bodbe: The Beauty of Sighnaghi Sighnaghi, Kakheti, Georgia (Excursion included in the Policy and Conflict Program, Fall 2017) Price of visit and lunch: 25 Lari During my first...

Celebrating Corpus Christi—In the town of Lowicz All day event Budget: 150zl for food and souvenirs (trip included in SRAS cultural program for Warsaw for Summer, 2017) Corpus Christi is a Catholic holiday celebrating the...

Krutitskoe Podvorye Religious History in Moscow Free area of town to stroll in Directions: Take the metro to Proletarskaya station. After leaving the metro, head straight down Krutitskiy Per., toward the Moscow River. Continue past...

Organ Concert Mary Mother of God Catholic Mission in Vladivostok 22 Volodarskovo Street Free Admission On November 15, I had the opportunity to attend a pipe organ concert at the Mary Mother of God Catholic...

Mary Mother of God Catholic Church in Vladivostok Volodarskovo 22 Vladmission.org For the past couple of weeks since I have been in Vladivostok, I have had the opportunity to attend mass at the Mary Mother...

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Евангелическо-лютеранская церковь Св. Павла) ул. Пушкинская 14 Service every Sunday at 11; Concert times vary; Tickets usually range from 300-500 rubles ($5-8) Tel. 295-47-47 Some of the more impressive structures...

My experience with the Jewish community in Bishkek began on a weekday evening in September. I did not really expect to find a synagogue on Suyumbayev Street. I had been following the gradually narrowing road...

Study abroad in Georgia is a great experience. Here are several pluses and minuses to heading abroad to this great country in the Caucasus with a rich culture, history, and fabulous cuisine. 1. Hospitality Culture...

Today there are approximately 500,000 people that identify with the largest indigenous group living in Siberia, the Buryats. The Buryats are a group of people descendent of various Siberian and Mongolian people that inhabited the...

For some, traveling abroad can be as much a spiritual journey as a physical one, and tourists are often encouraged to visit religious relics and places of worship for their history, culture, and architecture. For...

Well, Bishkek, it’s the beginning of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. This year, the holy month starts July 9th, coinciding with watermelon season in Kyrgyzstan. Ramadan also coincides with the...

The Salvation Army of St. Petersburg / Армия спасения в Санкт Петербурге Ул. Литейная, 44 http://pitersa.ru/ In the USA, humanitarian groups like the Salvation Army serve as highly visible, influential actors that champion for social...

Recently, a colleague and I went to a yasnovidyashi, a Kyrgyz fortuneteller (the name actually translates to “Clear Seer”), for the first time. Why? We’ve never done it before, we were looking for a new...